Question 1mediummultiple choice
Review the full OSPF breakdown →Question 669 of 1,000
Quick Answer
The answer is a missing firewall policy allowing OSPF traffic (protocol 89) over the tunnel. Even when the IPsec tunnel is up and ICMP ping succeeds between loopback interfaces, OSPF uses its own protocol number 89, which is not implicitly permitted by the tunnel’s existence; a dedicated firewall policy must explicitly allow OSPF packets on the tunnel interface, or the Hellos are silently dropped and adjacency fails. On the Fortinet NSE 7 Advanced Security NSE7 exam, this scenario tests your understanding that IPsec VPNs on FortiGate still require firewall policies to control routing protocol traffic—a common trap is assuming a working tunnel automatically passes OSPF. Remember the mnemonic: “Ping works, OSPF fails? Check the policy for protocol 89.”
NSE7 Advanced VPN and Zero Trust Practice Question
This NSE7 practice question tests your understanding of advanced vpn and zero trust. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
An administrator configures OSPF over an IPsec VPN tunnel between two FortiGates. The OSPF adjacency does not form. The tunnel is up and ping works between the loopback interfaces used for OSPF. What is the MOST likely issue?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"most likely"Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The firewall policy allowing OSPF traffic (protocol 89) over the tunnel is missing.
Even if the tunnel is up, OSPF packets (protocol 89) must be explicitly permitted by a firewall policy on the tunnel. Without that policy, OSPF Hellos are dropped and adjacency fails. Network type mismatch can also cause issues, but the most common is missing policy.
Key principle: OSPF neighbour adjacency depends on matching area, hello/dead timers, network type, and authentication — IP reachability alone is not enough.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: OSPF can fail even when IP connectivity looks correct
OSPF neighbour formation depends on matching areas, timers, network type, authentication and passive-interface behaviour. Do not choose an answer only because the devices can ping.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
OSPF questions usually test the details that control adjacency and route selection. Read the neighbour state, area, router ID and interface configuration before deciding what is wrong.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- OSPF neighbours must agree on key parameters.
- Router ID selection can affect neighbour relationships and LSDB output.
- OSPF cost influences the preferred path.
- A route can appear in OSPF information but not become the installed route.
TExam Day Tips
- Check area mismatch first when OSPF adjacency fails.
- Review passive interfaces when a network is advertised but no neighbour forms.
- Use show ip ospf neighbor and show ip route clues carefully.
Key takeaway
OSPF neighbour adjacency depends on matching area, hello/dead timers, network type, and authentication — IP reachability alone is not enough.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A network engineer at a university connects two campus buildings via a fibre link. Both routers run OSPF, but no adjacency forms — even though both routers can ping each other. The engineer finds one router is in area 0 and the other in area 1. OSPF adjacency requires matching area numbers, hello/dead timers, and network type. IP reachability alone is not enough.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review OSPF neighbour requirements — matching area type, hello and dead timers, network type, stub flags, and authentication. Study show ip ospf neighbor states (INIT, 2-WAY, FULL). Then practise related NSE7 OSPF questions on adjacency and route selection.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this NSE7 question test?
Advanced VPN and Zero Trust — This question tests Advanced VPN and Zero Trust — OSPF neighbours must agree on key parameters..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The firewall policy allowing OSPF traffic (protocol 89) over the tunnel is missing. — Even if the tunnel is up, OSPF packets (protocol 89) must be explicitly permitted by a firewall policy on the tunnel. Without that policy, OSPF Hellos are dropped and adjacency fails. Network type mismatch can also cause issues, but the most common is missing policy.
What should I do if I get this NSE7 question wrong?
Review OSPF neighbour requirements — matching area type, hello and dead timers, network type, stub flags, and authentication. Study show ip ospf neighbor states (INIT, 2-WAY, FULL). Then practise related NSE7 OSPF questions on adjacency and route selection.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
OSPF neighbours must agree on key parameters.
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Last reviewed: Jun 21, 2026
This NSE7 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Fortinet certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the NSE7 exam.
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